Crucial meeting to break the logjam on Vishwaroopam

The movie was scheduled to hit the cinemas on 25 January but has been banned in Tamil Nadu. A compromise may be reached between the two sides with deletion of some controversial scenes.

CHENNAI: The tripartite talks to break the impasse over the screening of Tamil movie 'Vishwaroopam' will take place today with the likely participation of actor- director Kamal Haasan, who returned here from Mumbai.

The meeting between Muslim groups, Haasan and state Home Secretary R Rajagopal yesterday did not take place as the Muslim groups insisted on the actor's presence.

"The meeting is scheduled this afternoon at the Secretariat," said Mohammed Hanifa of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Muslims Social and Political Organisations.

The Federation is up in arms against the screening of the movie for its alleged anti-Muslim content and wants deletion of some scenes.

Haasan, who was in Mumbai for the premiere of the Hindi version 'Vishwaroop' and arrived here today, said the film is receiving "fantastic" response in North India.

The initiative to break the logjam came after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday had defended the ban which had stirred a national controversy. She, however, had offered to facilitate an amicable settlement if both the parties came together.

The Rs 100-crore movie, made in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, was earlier scheduled to hit the screens on January 25 in Tamil Nadu.

Haasan had last Tuesday secured an interim relief from a single judge of the Madras High Court who had allowed the film's release, but a division bench had set it aside. The matter will come up for hearing on February 6.